EPA has published the following notice:

“Background documents for the first round of draft biological evaluations are now available for three pilot chemicals: chlorpyrifos, diazinon, and malathion. EPA has been collaborating with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service to develop interim scientific approaches to fulfill our responsibility under the Endangered Species Act to assess the impact of pesticides on threatened and endangered species and their designated critical habitat. These interim scientific approaches are based on recommendations from the National Academy of Sciences report, “Assessing Risks to Endangered and Threatened Species from Pesticides.” As part of this effort, the United States Department of Agriculture has provided expertise on crop production and pesticide uses and assistance with the use of the National Agricultural Statistics Service Cropland Data Layer to help define the footprint of agricultural use patterns.

For each chemical, the following supporting documents are now available:

  • problem formulation,
  • fate and effects characterizations,
  • related appendices, and
  • provisional models.

These documents contain the analysis plan and underlying data that will be used to make effects determinations as part of the pesticide consultation process. FWS and NMFS will incorporate the analyses and data from the biological evaluations into their final Biological Opinions for the three chemicals, which are due in December 2017 under a court-mandated deadline.

The entire draft biological evaluations for the three chemicals, including the effects determinations, will be released for public comment in the spring of 2016. Recognizing the volume of material being made available and the role that they will play in the development of the biological evaluations, we are releasing these supporting documents now so that the public can begin to review them in preparation for the public comment period.

To view and download the supporting documents, go to the Implementing NAS Report Recommendations on Ecological Risk Assessment for Endangered and Threatened Species web page. For more information visit EPA’s Endangered Species Protection Program web page.”